We spend so much of our lives constantly trying to avoid the inevitable challenges that come along with the circumstances that our very own choices have led us to be in.
There are things we know that need to be delegated.
We haven’t done it.
There are positions we know we need to hire for.
We haven’t done it.
There’s training we know that needs to happen.
There are people we need to fire.
There’s more time we need to be spending on lead generation.
There are things we need to do to get our brand out in the marketplace and we haven’t done it.
It’s not just in our professional life; it’s also in our personal life.
People who are in debt are constantly trying to find ways to get out of paying their bills. People who are unhealthy are always making rationalizations for why it doesn’t matter. How they’ve already tried, or it’s not that big of a deal or nothing works.
People who are struggling in their marriage are often avoiding the difficult but meaningful conversations that must take place if there is any chance or hope of reconciling that relationship.
And the key insight that the Multipliers have made, that other people have not yet made, is this:
Multipliers know problems that are procrastinated on are only amplified.
Waiting always makes it worse.
All of us are dealing with the same types of storms, right?
We all have regulation changes we have to deal with. We all have employees we have to manage. We all have stuff happening in the markets. There are so many things constantly happening.
We don’t always get to choose whether or not we have storms.
The only choice that we have is how we respond to those storms.
Specifically, when we respond to those storms, this mentality is very representative of how the Multipliers and the ultra-performers operate. It is the Take the Stairs mindset.
Self-Discipline Quote
It brings us to the Paradox Principle of Sacrifice which simply stated is this: Easy short-term choices lead to difficult, long-term consequences. Difficult short-term choices lead the easy, long-term consequences.
Paradox Principle of Sacrifice
The great paradox here is what seems like the easy way in life: eating whatever we want, saying whatever we want, buying things we can’t afford on credit, etc. Things seem easy, but they are the very vehicles for a more difficult life.
And inversely, the things that seem like sacrifices: saving money, investing the money instead of spending it, working out, etc. The things that seem difficult that seem like sacrifices are the vehicles to an easier life.
The paradox is there is no such thing as a sacrifice.
There is only short term down payments on rich future blessings. There are only investments that yield returns.
I can buy the $50 or the $500 TV, or I can invest that $500 and it’s going to grow. And we understand that with our money.
But do we understand that with our time? Do we spend our time urgently or do we spend our time significantly?
Do we fall victim to the fires and the tyranny of the urgent, or do we figure out a way to create the staff, the team, the systems to create space, to invest our time, the way we would invest money into things that grow? That is what multiplying your time is all about.
We have to realize is that in our life and our business, we will always pay a price.
There is no such thing as a shortcut because you eventually pay the price.
The only choice that we have is whether we pay that price now today or we will pay it later with interest.
What kind of choices are you making in your business or personal life? Leave me a comment below.
